A New York state father took what has become a family tradition to a new level when he built a 50-foot-long pirate ship in his front yard in Churchville, NY outside Rochester.
Tony DeMatteo said he has since been building ships every year for Halloween, and this year’s is the biggest yet at 50 feet long and 20 feet tall.
A few years back, DeMatteo’s now 13-year-old daughter asked for a “Pirates of the Caribbean”.
The whole project cost about $3,000 in supplies and took one week to build, he said.
It features a skeleton hanging from the bowsprit, six light-up cannons, a fog machine and fire blasters.
“I have no background in this, I just do it for fun for my kids, and that’s what makes it so great,” DeMatteo. “It’s also been a rough year for a lot of people so we decided this would be a perfect opportunity to put a smile on people’s face and just give them a sense of normalcy.”
DeMatteo said he does not charge anyone to tour the ship, but visitors are asked to bring canned goods for Open Door Mission, a Rochester food pantry.
“We got so many donations that my garage was completely full, and they’re still coming to this day,” he said.
See the pirate ship (address)
15 Ambush Lane
Churchville, NY 14428
